Storytelling at Transylvania Library on Saturday

Published: Sunday, November 9, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, November 7, 2008 at 2:01 p.m.

Tales will be told and laughter ring through the rafters as renowned storytellers gather Saturday at the main Transylvania County Library in Brevard for the 10th annual NCSG Fall Storytelling Festival. All events are free and open to the public.

Sponsored by the North Carolina Storytelling Guild and Transylvania County Library Friends of the Library, the festival features tellers from across the state, including North Carolina’s internationally renowned storytelling son, Donald Davis. Davis will share the stage with four NCSG professional regional tellers during afternoon and evening concerts. Seating for the performances is limited and will be handled on a first come first served basis.

Davis was born in Southern Appalachia, a mountain world rich in stories.

“I didn’t learn stories, I just absorbed them,” he says as he recounts tales and more tales learned from a family of traditional storytellers who have lived on the same Western North Carolina land since 1781. For Davis, storytelling is a way of giving and living life.

He says storytelling “...is not what I do for a living ...it is how I do all that I do while I’m living.” Davis is undoubtedly one of the best loved storytellers practicing his craft today. Davis now tours the U.S., making about 300 storytelling presentations a year. He has been featured at the World’s Fair, the Smithsonian Institution and the National Storytelling Festival. An early member of the National Storytelling Network’s coveted “Circle of Excellence” for his work on stage, Davis is also known as a prolific author, producer of books and tapes, and as a guest host for NPR’s Good Evening. “His stories often left listeners limp with laughter at the same time they struggled with a lump in the throat,” writes the New York Times.

The day-long event will kick off at 10 a.m. with stories and puppetry for young children. At 10:30 a.m., Davis will lead a 90-minute storytelling workshop for story enthusiasts. The workshop will focus on recovering forgotten childhood and will help the storyteller to tap the memory processes and begin to shape personal and family-based stories.

Beginning at 12:30 p.m., Transylvania County children will share stories during the youth storytelling showcase, and at 1 p.m., story lovers will settle in for the all-new pre-concert showcase, featuring selected tellers from North Carolina.

The family storytelling concert, hosted by Terry Rollins, will start at 2 p.m., and will feature Davis and the regional tellers.

A traditional highlight of the festival is always the evening concert for adults and teens at 6:30 p.m., also headlined by Davis and the NCSG regional tellers.

The North Carolina Storytelling Guild is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and affirming the value of storytelling and the importance of story listening. In addition to the annual fall storytelling festival, each year NCSG also sponsors two storytelling workshops for beginning and experienced tellers. The Journal of Tar Heel Tellers, NCSG’s quarterly publication, is recognized as one of the best storytelling journals in the country. More information about the North Carolina Storytelling Guild, its programs and membership is available on the Web site, www.ncstoryguild.org.

For more information on the festival, contact Sandra Gudger, festival director, at (828) 274-1123, or Carrie Foreman, youth services librarian, Transylvania County Library, at 884-3151.

<p>Tales will be told and laughter ring through the rafters as renowned storytellers gather Saturday at the main Transylvania County Library in Brevard for the 10th annual NCSG Fall Storytelling Festival. All events are free and open to the public.</p><p>Sponsored by the North Carolina Storytelling Guild and Transylvania County Library Friends of the Library, the festival features tellers from across the state, including North Carolina’s internationally renowned storytelling son, Donald Davis. Davis will share the stage with four NCSG professional regional tellers during afternoon and evening concerts. Seating for the performances is limited and will be handled on a first come first served basis.</p><p>Davis was born in Southern Appalachia, a mountain world rich in stories. </p><p>I didn’t learn stories, I just absorbed them, he says as he recounts tales and more tales learned from a family of traditional storytellers who have lived on the same Western North Carolina land since 1781. For Davis, storytelling is a way of giving and living life. </p><p>He says storytelling ...is not what I do for a living ...it is how I do all that I do while I’m living. Davis is undoubtedly one of the best loved storytellers practicing his craft today. Davis now tours the U.S., making about 300 storytelling presentations a year. He has been featured at the World’s Fair, the Smithsonian Institution and the National Storytelling Festival. An early member of the National Storytelling Network’s coveted Circle of Excellence for his work on stage, Davis is also known as a prolific author, producer of books and tapes, and as a guest host for NPR’s Good Evening. His stories often left listeners limp with laughter at the same time they struggled with a lump in the throat, writes the New York Times.</p><p>In addition to Davis, additional regional tellers include: Michael Badhair Williams, Zirconia; Ron Jones, Durham; Jane Hauser, Chapel Hill and Tim Lowry, Charleston, S.C.</p><p>The day-long event will kick off at 10 a.m. with stories and puppetry for young children. At 10:30 a.m., Davis will lead a 90-minute storytelling workshop for story enthusiasts. The workshop will focus on recovering forgotten childhood and will help the storyteller to tap the memory processes and begin to shape personal and family-based stories. </p><p>Beginning at 12:30 p.m., Transylvania County children will share stories during the youth storytelling showcase, and at 1 p.m., story lovers will settle in for the all-new pre-concert showcase, featuring selected tellers from North Carolina. </p><p>The family storytelling concert, hosted by Terry Rollins, will start at 2 p.m., and will feature Davis and the regional tellers.</p><p>A traditional highlight of the festival is always the evening concert for adults and teens at 6:30 p.m., also headlined by Davis and the NCSG regional tellers. </p><p>The North Carolina Storytelling Guild is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and affirming the value of storytelling and the importance of story listening. In addition to the annual fall storytelling festival, each year NCSG also sponsors two storytelling workshops for beginning and experienced tellers. The Journal of Tar Heel Tellers, NCSG’s quarterly publication, is recognized as one of the best storytelling journals in the country. More information about the North Carolina Storytelling Guild, its programs and membership is available on the Web site, www.ncstoryguild.org.</p><p>For more information on the festival, contact Sandra Gudger, festival director, at (828) 274-1123, or Carrie Foreman, youth services librarian, Transylvania County Library, at 884-3151.</p>